General Industrial
There are few things that are better than a warm cookie fresh from the oven. Occasionally, however, food must be prepared in advance of being served and kept as warm and fresh as possible, so it is safe for consumption. If food dips into lower temperature zones for prolonged periods of time, pathogens can grow and cause illness. For this reason, food warmers and holding stations that keep food at safe temperatures play a key, essential role in food safety.
One manufacturer of food warmers and holding stations – the purpose of which is to keep food at optimum temperatures - was on the search for flexible heaters to use in their equipment. Important design considerations were material thickness due to space constraints, material flexibility, excellent heat transfer and power consumption, low outgassing, as well as a high temperature rating and wide temperature range.
ARLON® Silicone Dielectric Substrates, with their thin and flexible construction, easily fit into the tight space constraints and complex geometries of food service equipment such as warming cabinets, drums that contain liquid food products, and rolling racks. ARLON Substrate from Rogers also offers great dielectric properties, offering fast heating and efficient power consumption that keeps down the cost of heating food.
Low outgassing is also a key feature of the material, as food equipment is often located in enclosed spaces where any released gasses could hinder food quality and taste. Additionally, ARLON® silicone can withstand extreme temperatures up to 232 °C (450 °F) and is UL-rated to 220ºC/220ºC (428ºF/428ºF) RTI.
ARLON® Silicone Dielectric Substrate from Rogers was selected by the manufacturer due to its excellent material properties and its ability to meet their stringent design specifications. As a result, the food warmers and holding stations keep food warm, fresh, and safe for a long period of time.